Just a really quick final email of the year to offer you the chance to WIN! Yes, we're giving away a HUGE pile of Stitch London goodies and giving you the chance for Stitch London badge fame! Anyone can enter. Woo hoo!

Stitch London learners: We teach knitting for free! The first meeting of 2012 is our biggest learner meeting of the year. Look out for the learner icon (left) to see dates for learner meetings in our Stitch Ups section. Places may be limited so please arrive early to sign up.

GLOBAL COMPETITION: THE BADGE FACTOR! THE BEST STITCH LONDON BADGE WINS A WHOLE LOAD OF EXCLUSIVE STITCH LONDON GOODIES

Wanna win a whole load of Stitch London goodies? Stitch London have been busy designing and making a whole load of Stitch London merchandise for you to show your crafty love to the world.

The brand new Stitch London online shop will open in the New Year and we'll be selling our goodies at the Duckie Christmas Market, but you have the chance to get your grubby paws on the whole lot for FREE! Woo hoo!

To celebrate our 6th birthday we're giving you the chance to win a whole load of Stitch London goodies. All you need to do is come up with the best new idea for a Stitch London badge.

All 8 sets of Stitch London exclusive badges (four badges per pack which means 32 badges)

A set of 5 Stitch London fridge magnets

A Stitch London handmirror

A set of 10 Knit the City London graffiti knitting postcards

A Stitch London How to Knit Kit of your choice (including limited edition Stitch London 4.5mm Subabal polished wood knitting needles, yarn, tapestry needle, a How to Knit booklet and everything you need to make either Sheep and Martians, Floating Flutterguys or a Stitched Self Mini Me)

All you have to do is come up with the best new idea for a Stitch London badge

Here are our current badges for you to get a some inspiration:

Here is what to do:

Come up with some ideas for Stitch London badges (e.g. 'Purl, Interrupted' 'Will Knit for Marmite')

Write them in an email (you can add scribbles, images and links to pics if you want to add any visual ideas but they're totally optional)

Send it to us at at winstuff@stitchLDN.com with the subject line"My Stitch badge rocks!" (Please make sure you enter the right subject otherwise your entry might get missed)

Add your full name, contact email and address

How many ideas can I send? Send as many ideas as you like. You can send in three or 30. Up to you.

Do they need to be about knitting or can I do any craft? They can be about knitting, crochet, cross stitch, sewing, embroidery or any other kind of stitch or woolly craft. Go wild!

What happens if someone else sends in the same idea as me?The first person sending the idea in gets the credit. So get in quick!

When is the deadline?All entries must be in by 5 January 2012 at 8pm.

What happens next? In the New Year we'll put up our 25 favourite ideas to the public vote on our website. The vote will go down to the final 4. The winning badge will win all those goodies and be announced in a newsletter. The three runners up will get prizes too.

Your idea might end up on all kinds of Stitch merchandise which means you can proudly tell the world you helped keep the woolly Godzilla stomping and spreading free stitching goodness across the world.

So what on earth are you waiting for? Got something punny to say about purling? Feeling inspired by the wonder of wool? Have an catchphrase you'd like that lady staring at you knitting on the tube to see? Need to get your needle love out there? Want to unravel the thread of your thoughts in a public badge-based statement? Cross that there aren't enough cross stitch saying in the world?

Now is your time! Get your entries in and you could be the Stitch London Badge Factor winner!
Yay you!

Competition rules: 1. All entrants must give contact details. 2. Competition ends 5 January 2012 at 8pm. 3. No cash alternatives to the prizes. 4. Winners will be chosen by public online vote from 25 of Stitch London's favourite entries and notified within 2 weeks of the voting closing date. 5. Competition open to everyone globally, including people outside London and the UK. 6. By submitting your idea you agree that Stitch London has free permission to turn your idea into merchandise and use it to raise funds to support Stitch London. (Stitch London won't use any submitted images without seperate permission)

STITCHING SECRET SANTA GOES GLOBAL

Stitch London Christmas Shindig is a mere few weeks away. Have you started your Secret Santa knit? Have you?!? If not Gerty can provide motivational workshops.

This year the Stitch London Christmas Shindig is on 13th December. EEK! GET STITCHING!!! But we'd also like to invite our non-London members to join in too. Yay!

Fancy taking part in Stitching Secret Santa? Here is how it works:

1. You knit or crochet or stitch (handmake) a gift costing about £5

2. You lovingly wrap your gift

3. You bring it along to the Stitch London Christmas Shindig

4. You drop it in the Sack of Secret Stitching

5. You party

6. You rummage and recieve a handmade gift

7. You spend the rest of the night marvelling at it

A few rules:

• Gifts must be around £5 or more

• Gifts must be either handmade or stitch themed

• You don't have to confess which gift you made

Stitching Secret Santa deadline is the night of the party December 13. Go! Go! Go!

Not in London? There are Stitch Londoners in 52 countries around the world. We don't want you to feel left out. So if you're not in London and live far, far away we've started a Global Stitching Secret Santa International Swap on Ravelry. Join the thread and get swapping your stitching. Go on.

Every year Stitch London throws one hell of a woolly party for Christmas, and two things make it extra special:

Cracking Christmas Raffle and

Stitching Secret Santa

The Cracking Christmas Raffle means we ask craft sellers to donate their most fabulous things to help raise money for a cause close to Stitch London's handmade heart.

This year we're raising money to support brand-new knitter Andrea Giles in her battle against breast cancer. Andrea's fight is more than just a one-woman battle. She began using alternative and complementary therapy when the usual medical route fell short. Andrea is a brave pioneer for the Yes to Life Campaign, setting out to prove that there is hope even when the medical profession aren't so sure.

Andrea's story is so inspiring we couldn't fit it all in here, so you can read all about it in a special interview over at the Stitch London blog. It's an amazing cause and Andrea is an amazing woman. Your raffle money could change the course of cancer treatment and give hope to so many. Please give what you can. And do read Angela's interview. It really is very inspiring stuff.

What else is going on? Duckie promises workshops, pop-up performances and seasonal bonhomie. It's going to be fun with a capital F, we tell you!

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AGH! I can't make it! Can I buy Stitch London stuff online?!?!?! The Stitch London shop will be opening in the New Year but Stitch London beginnner knitting kits and Tofty Makes beginner crochet kits will be available at the New Year Newbie Fest on January 3rd 2012. Email mailto:buystuff@stitchLDN.com to order yours. Go on.

You can also support Stitch London by buying the Stitch London book (with free pigeon knitting kit) or the Knit the City graffiti knitting book. Cool, no?

Stitch London promise not to share your email address with anyone, not even if they ask us nicely and offer us sweet, sweet cake or cashmere.Stitch London is run by one frazzled founder for free and offers meetings, newsletters, teaching and events for free too. All our Stitch Sage teachers are very generous volunteers. So please be patient if we make mistakes